Outdoor cooking devices, such as barbecue grills, are well known for their ability to provide naturally flavored food. Barbecue grills of many shapes and sizes have been known and used for many years. Typically, the barbecue grill is fueled by an open fire consisting of wood or coal wherein the food drippings help in the flavoring of the food. Alternatively the cooking device can be fueled by a gas burner.
As open fires present unsuitable risks for indoor use, cooking devices have been configured for controlling the open fires in the outdoor environment. In a typical construction, the conventional barbecue grill has an elevated, leg-supported housing with a top opening coverable with a removable lid. A charcoal or wood grate is removably supportable within a lower portion of the housing, and a food supporting grate is removably supportable within the housing adjacent its open upper end which snugly receives the lid.
Important components of proper outdoor cooking of food involve regulating the heat of the open fire as well as timing the length of food exposure to the heat. The use of the housing lid is most effective in controlling the heat of the open fire by limiting oxygen required for combustion purposes. A problem, quite familiar to backyard cooking enthusiasts, arises when it becomes time to lift the housing lid in order to turn and/or rearrange the cooking food items on the upper grate.
The housing lid is typically provided with one or more hinges attached to the rear of the grill so as to move between a closed position and an open position while facing the cook or operator. In order to open and close the lid, it is necessary for the cook to place his/her arm and hand directly over the upper grate, and thereby over the often intense rising heat from the burning fuel. Additionally, particularly when greasy food such as meats is being cooked, lifting the lid often causes “flame up” which can burn both the food and the cook.
An additional disadvantage of grills having lids hinged to the rear of the grill is the moment of inertia created about the grill itself by virtue of the cantilevered lid. This hinging arrangement can cause post-mounted grills to lean rearwardly from their anchoring point, and creates a potential imbalance for portable grills and a possibility of tipping.
Therefore, a need exists for a barbecue grill that eliminates or minimizes the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages commonly associated with conventional barbecue grills. These and other needs will become apparent to those of skill in the art after reading the present specification.